Pokèmar Episode 3: Thunder's Past
by finalfrontier2048
Summary: A letter from Thunder's long lost father puts Alex and Thunder in the crossfire of a war... 3/11 in the Pokèmar Series
1. Message From Home

"Look, you're only making things harder for yourself. Just give us the bag and come with us." I say to a rather tense Weavile. She had stolen several golden scarfs from a Keckleon merchant with the intent to sell them herself. How she managed not to be pummeled into a furry, navy blue pulp is beyond me, but she somehow did. Thunder, Keldeo, Virizion and I tracked her to Ochre Quarry and cornered her, though it seems like she's not about to surrender her ill gotten gains.

"Look, I'll give you a scarf. But you have to let me go in return." She says, desperate to escape.

"We're not about to take bribes, Weavile." Virizion answers. "Either you come with us willingly and we see if we can't make your sentence easier, or we knock you out and drag you into your cell. What'll it be?"

"I'm not going to let some self righteous team do me in! I'll take you all down!" With that, she drops the bag and charges, claws bared. She leaps at Keldeo, who uses his horn to parry and block her strikes. Meanwhile I unleash a volley of razorleaves into her exposed back, quickly shifting her attention to me.

Thunder is next to attack, letting loose several electric discharges before she can even land a hit on me. Once again, she turns her attention to her new attacker. However, the only thing she gets from it is another discharge to the face. Virizion leaps into action to continue the assault, smacking her around with several powerful kicks.

"Had enough yet?" I inquire. "Or do we need to keep going?"

"Shut it, Snivy!" She once again dashes for me carelessly. I simply sidestep as she jabs her claws into the wall behind me. She has basically immobilized herself, unable to remove her claws from the stone.

"Look, we've dealt with far worse than you and came out on top. Just surrender." Her response is only an angry growl as she fights to yank her claws free. She's going to be at this for a while on her own.

"You know what? Fine! I surrender! Happy now?!"

"Alright. Good. Keldeo, Virizion, mind breaking her out?" The both nod as they ram their horns into the rocky wall, cracking it and freeing her claws.

"You idiots shouldn't trust every word you hear." Weavile says as she turns to swipe her claws across my face. I however, anticipated the move and leap over top of her, nailing her in the back with vine whip. She is knocked down as a result, and Virizion is quick to pin her arms down with her hooves, preventing any retaliation.

"And you really shouldn't call out when you deceived someone. It really doesn't work out that well." She struggles against her captor without success, yelling in frustration. I can't help but feel a bit smug. She was careless. Impulsive. Without much strategy to her attacks. And when going up against Pokemon who coordinated and fought with strategy in mind, it played into her downfall. "Alright everyone. We're done here. Let's get everything together and head back." Virizion quickly gets off the Weavile and I tie up the her arms behind her back with my vines. Thunder picks up the bag and quickly jogs over to me.

"You sure we can't come to an agreement? How about 20 percent? 50? I'll even go up to 80."

"I'll be sure to put 'attempted bribery' under your list of charges." Thunder responds.

? ﾟﾕﾒ? ﾟﾕﾖ? ﾟﾕﾛ

"That's another successful mission. You have no idea how much I missed this." I say to Thunder on our way back from the sheriff's department. It's been a little over a week since I returned. And every moment of it has been well spent. I missed the joyful and optimistic atmosphere that permeates the town of Pokemon Paradise. But I missed my friends most of all. It feels great to get back into the routine with them.

"I'll bet. I know you really enjoyed this." Thunder responds.

"Absolutely. Nothing like making the world better with your best friend by your side."

"I second that. Oh! Looks like the Pelliper came by." Thunder gestures to the mailbox out front. Pellipers are Pokemon that bear a resemblance to the earth pelican. Though the large mouth is significantly more exaggerated. On Pokèmar they are commonly seen delivering packages and letters using the aforementioned mouths to carry them. How they manage to not get it all wet with saliva is beyond me. Or if they even have saliva. Regardless, it is what it is.

I open up the mailbox to check what we have. Most of it isn't very interesting. The usual stuff you'd get. But something catches my eye. One of the letters is addressed to "Pikachu Dova."

"Looks like this one got sent to the wrong address." I tell Thunder as I hand him the letter.

"No... It's for me. Dova is my pack name.

"Pack name?"

"Remember when we first met I told you my name was Pikachu. And that's true. It is. But that what every Pikachu is named. And since that makes it impossible to tell us apart we use what're known as pack names. Whenever a Pokemon addresses someone of the same species, or sometimes family, they use their pack name." How has this not come up before? This seems like something that I would probably hear about sooner than this.

"I see. So... Another Pikachu sent this?"

"More than likely. Let's take a look at what it says." With that he rips the envelope open and takes out the letter. His eyes quickly scan through the writing, taking in the information it contains. Before long, his curious expression gives way to shock and surprise. "What? No... No it can't be..."

"Thunder?" I ask, mildly concerned. "What's wrong?

"Nothing's wrong. It's just... Well... Read for yourself." He hands the letter over to me, which I quickly take. I read through the lines of text to see what got Thunder all shook up.

 _To my lost son, Pikachu Dova,_

 _I can't be sure that you remember me, but rest assured I remember you. You are the child that I helped to bring into the world. When you went missing I feared that if never see you again. But your picture in the newspapers proved me very wrong. Even as a Pikachu I can still recognize your face. And it brings me no end of joy to see you so well and happy._

 _I cannot stand not seeing you. Please, come home. Come home so we may meet each other once again. I would love to hear what you've been up to._

 _Sincerely, your father,_

 _Raichu Sadu_

Below the signature was an address in the Kanto Major region, probably the location of the Raichu's home. I stare at the letter, realizing the importance of it. Thunder never knew his family. I remember from the frism message. _"I don't remember my childhood. I don't remember my parents or ever living in a real home."_ To get a message from his long lost father...

"He found me... After all this time... He finally found me." Thunder says, beginning to choke up. "I never thought I'd ever see him... But now..." I can't help but smile. This is a huge moment for him. I walk over to my friend and embrace him, giving him a shoulder to cry on. "I'm so happy, Alex... I actually get to see him!"

"I'm happy for you, Thunder. You wouldn't mind if I tagged along, would you?"

"Of course not! I'm happy to let you come!"

"Thank you, Thunder." I maintain our embrace, letting him calm himself. It's obvious what's next. Tomorrow, we're going to Kanto Major.


	2. Kanto Major

To satisfy my curiosity I did some research on Kanto Major. I had no idea it was literally on another continent. This is going to be one heck of a long trip. Hopefully Virizion can hold down the fort while we're gone. We had a vote and decided that she would be best suited to leading while we were out.

An interesting fact, it appears that the very first Pokemon may have come from Kanto Major. So that's pretty cool. Maybe we'll see some significant landmarks or something.

"Alex! The Magnagate is ready!" Thunder calls to me from outside. I was just packing up the last of the supplies and adding a little money so we could get food and other supplies if we run into trouble. Hopefully not though. This is a moment that Thunder will remember forever. And I don't want it tarnished by something going wrong.

"I'll be right out!" I yell back as I pick up the luggage case and make my way to Paradise Center, where the team gathers to give us a send off. "Let's get this show on the road."

"Care to do the honors, Thunder?" Espeon asks. To which the reply is an enthusiastic "yes." Thunder presses down on the center of the Entercards and steps back. The red rings expand outward as the Magnagate formed in front of us in its familiar display. Before long the gate is ready for use.

"You first, buddy." I tell Thunder. He happily bounds onto the Magnagate, with myself not far behind.

"I'm so excited!" He squees, fidgeting and unable to stay still. He certainly looks like it.

"So am I." The first of the three rings vanishes. The gate has begun to close.

"Goodbye you two. Have a wonderful time." Virizion tells us.

"I'll be sure to have a 'surprise' waiting for you when you get back." Emolga says with a mischievous grin. Now I'm nervous to come back and see what he'll have cooked up for me.

The second ring vanishes one more left. Thunder looks ready to burst from excitement. I don't blame him in the slightest. This is a huge day for him. And I wish for nothing but the best.

"We'll do our best to stay in touch." I say to them. "See you guys!" And after a few moments the final ring vanishes, sending us on our way across the ocean, on course to Kanto Major.

? ﾟﾕﾒ? ﾟﾕﾖ? ﾟﾕﾛ

The trek through the artificial mystery dungeon was far from treacherous. It was nothing we hadn't encountered many, many times before. We know our way around most mystery dungeons and can identify certain patterns to make our journeys easier. Before long, we arrive in Kanto Major in a very small little town.

"We're here. Now we just need to figure out which town it is." I say.

"This is Palette Town." Thunder answers, confident in his response.

"How do you know?" His answer is simply pointing to a sign behind me that reads "Welcome to Palette Town." And I immediately feel like a moron.

"Don't worry too much about it Alex. These things happen." Reaching into the bag, he pulls out the letter, reading the address written at the bottom. "Well we're in the right place. Now we just need to find the house."

"Shouldn't be too difficult. It's a small place. What's the address?"

"Uh... 7231 Static Road."

"Well, let's start asking for directions."

? ﾟﾕﾒ? ﾟﾕﾖ? ﾟﾕﾛ

"This is it, this is the place." I say as we approach one of the buildings. Not a huge one, but it's got some size to it. Big enough to house a family of three comfortably. "How about you go first? It's your father after all."

"Of course!" He quickly runs to the front door and gives it several solid knocks.

"Yes? Who is it?" A voice from inside calls out.

"It's me! Pikachu Dova!"

"Dova?! You're here!" I hear footsteps approach the door and it swings open to reveal an aged Raichu. "You're earlier than I expected. But I can't complain."

"Father..."

"It's so good to see you again, my son." With those words, the embrace each other tightly. I can't help but smile. He's so happy. And the happiness is infectious. After a minute or so, they let go of each other. "So, Dova. This is your friend?"

"Yes. He calls himself Alex Russet. He's actually a human from another universe."

"What? Really? How did this come to pass?"

"It's a long story." I respond.

"Well, I'm sure you two must be hungry. I've got some food that I was making for your return. How about all three of us have a sit down and talk about what we've been up to for all these years."

"Sure." I answer. "I like the sound of that."

"Then follow me to the kitchen area. I'll get everything set up."

? ﾟﾕﾒ? ﾟﾕﾖ? ﾟﾕﾛ

"So you two have been through a lot together."

"We certainly have." I reply, finishing off the bowl of soup he gave me. "Needless to say, Thunder... Oh. Sorry. _Dova_ and I have grown quite close. Nothing like life or death fights to strengthen the bonds between you and your allies."

"So if he was in harms way, you'd step in and take the hits?"

"In a heartbeat. And I know he'd do the same for me." Thunder smiles and nods as he lowers his now empty bowl.

"Absolutely. I would gladly do it for him."

"I'd rather not imagine you getting hurt, Dova. But I'm glad you're willing to go to such lengths for your friend." I smile. Sadu is so kind. Much like his son. Must run in the family. My eyes drift to the window and the orange sky created from the sunset. Wait, sunset? It's that late already? Wow. Time really flies.

"I think it's time we get some sleep." I yawn. "Mind showing us to the guest room?"

"Of course. Follow me."

? ﾟﾕﾒ? ﾟﾕﾖ? ﾟﾕﾛ

Ugh... It's one of _those_ nights... The ones where sleep decides to leave me behind to spite me. No matter how much I try, my mind refuses to shut down. I really hate this...

My mind switches gears when I hear a strange whoosh or poof like sound from outside the door. My heart rate jumps. That definitely wasn't the house settling or other natural sound. Some one is here and awake. And I get the feeling that it's not Sadu.

Part of me wants to go and investigate, but if whoever it is has one of my many type advantages and gets the jump on me, I won't last long. So I shay in bed, close my eyes, and relax my breathing into the rhythm one would expect from a sleeping person. Hopefully it's enough to keep myself from being noticed.

I hear footsteps enter the room. Footsteps that are far too heavy for a Raichu. The door to our room creeps open. I dare to open my eyes slightly and see a large, sinister looking Pokemon scanning over the room. It isn't long before I recognize what it is. A Zoroark. The Illusion Fox Pokemon. So named for their ability to mask themselves, others, and their environments with illusions. Masters of deception and disguise.

Once the Zoroark was confident that they weren't seen, he walks over to Thunder's bed. And with a sinister sounding chuckle, he raises his clawed hand, ready to swipe it at the Pikachu. It's clear what he's going to do. He is going to kill Thunder!


	3. Deception

"Thunder! Look out!" I scream as loud as my lungs would allow. This, of course, immediately draws the attention of the Zoroark assailant. But it also startles Thunder awake. He spots the claw hovering menacingly above him and easily sees the danger. Using his quick attack move, he zips out of the way in a flash of yellow, electric light in a mater of milliseconds. All of this happened in less than a second, though it definitely felt longer than that.

I leap out of my bed and take a combat stance between him and my dazed friend. "And I thought when you said you'd put your life on the line for your friend that you weren't serious. That it was an exaggerated claim." He growls in a gruff voice. "But it seems you truly meant it." Wait... How did he hear that? The only ones there were me, Thunder and...

"Sadu?!" I call out in surprise. "You impersonated him!"

"Correct. That knowledge won't do you any good when you're dead, though." He lunges forward, ready to rip me apart. I evade the initial strikes and retaliate with a vine whip. To little effect. The Zoroark's next strike, Shadow Claw, connects, sending me tumbling backwards into Thunder.

"Thunder, if you're up for it, I need some help."

"I'll do what I can." Thunder has emerged from his dazed state to open up with some electric bolts. The strikes force the attacker back slightly, but not enough to remove the threat. The Zoroark launches a shadow ball our way, which we barely dodge.

"Perhaps you should just give up." Our attacker taunts. "Maybe I'll make it quick and painless."

"Or maybe you let us go. Ever consider that?" I respond.

"My commanding officer would have my head if I did that." Commanding officer? Is he military? Never mind that. Focus on what's happening now. Our opponent is a tough one... None of our attacks have slowed him down. I believe that now is the time for a strategic retreat. I look to Thunder, who appears to be thinking much the same thing. With a nod we put our plan into action. Using my vines, I topple a dresser onto the Zoroark to distract him. Then we run. We leave the house into the dark of night and take refuge in the nearby forest for cover. Here's hoping we're hidden well enough.

"That was way too close... I thought we were dead for sure." Thunder breathes in relief.

"Well the incident with that one psychopathic Sceptile was a bit more intense." I reply jokingly.

"I consider a shapshifting assassin to be more dangerous than a Sceptile with sanity issues." Our joking is quickly silenced as we spot the Zoroark looking for us, getting dangerously close to the forest in which we currently reside.

"You can't hide forever..." He taunts. "I know you're here. And I **will** find you. It's only a matter of time..." I fight the urge to hyperventilate, knowing that it would be of absolutely no use to us and would quickly reveal our location. The experience is nerve wracking.

Slowly he begins to narrow down the search area, growing ever closer to our hiding spot. If we don't do something, we're going to get found out.

"Thunder, we need to head deeper into the forest." I silently whisper to my friend, who nods in agreement. Getting down on all fours, we slowly back away from the assassin, hoping that we don't get seen. And it appears that it is working. We are getting a fair amount of distance between- **snap!** Oh no... I look down and see that I have inadvertently stepped on a dry twig, which immediately snapped under my weight. The sound alerts the Zoroark. Who immediately turns in our direction. Judging by his grin, we've been spotted.

"Run for it!" I yell and we bolt. The Zoroark takes off after us, lobbing shadow balls in an effort to slow us down. In an effort to shake him, we weave through the trees and through tight spaces, hoping that his larger body won't be able to get through like we can. But the chase inevitably continues with no end in sight.

Soon, one of the shadow balls hits the base of a tall tree, causing to to topple. Thunder was unfortunately in the wrong place at the wrong time, finding his tail pinned under the trunk.

"Alex! Help!" He cries out in fear as the black and red figure approaches. Without hesitation I turn back around, not willing to leave him behind. I fire off a volley of energy balls at the Zoroark, which don't seem to hurt him in the slightest. My only reward for my actions being a shadow claw uppercut that slams me into a nearby tree. I am drained of energy. The extensive chase as well as the wounds inflicted have sapped me. A am helpless as he draws ever closer to Thunder...

"And here was me thinking that the two leading members of New Hope would be a nightmare to eliminate. Yet here we are... Now, how about we finish the job? Goodbye, 'Dova.'"

"No!" I scream. "Don't kill him! Please!" My cries fall on deaf ears, however, as he prepares to cleave my best friend into pieces. He swings his claw, but instead of the sickening sound of ripping through flesh, I hear the sound of an electric discharge. I see the Zoroark stager to the side as if hit by something. But it couldn't have been Thunder... Else he would be staggered backwards as opposed to sideways. Another bolt of electricity slams into his chest. I turn to look at the source of the attack. A Raichu. I fear that it's another trick from the Zoroark, wanting to taunt us with the illusion of safety. Put perhaps it is very much real...

The bolts keep coming, consistently hitting their mark. "I've had just about enough of you Zoroark scum!" He yells, firing off electric shots like a machine gun. Before long the Zoroark is overwhelmed and collapses. Our rescuer approaches his downed foe, staring him dead in the Eve's before stabbing him through the heart with the pointed tip of his tail. The Zoroark gasps in pain, trying to lash out at the Raichu, but he couldn't overcome the fatal blow, his body drains of life, and dies.

The Raichu then runs over to Thunder, helping to get the tree off of him. "Dova?" He asks. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah... Who are you?"

"Raichu Jasi. I'm a friend of your father."


	4. Seeds of Conflict

"You know my father?!" Thunder exclaims in mild surprise. "Is he ok?!"

"He's fine." Jasi assures. "He was afraid something like this would happen so he's been sending me to keep an eye on Palette Town to make sure you were safe."

"Wait..." I interrupt. "If he feared that they would impersonate him, why did he send the letter to bring him here?"

"He didn't. It was the Zoroark. Sadu didn't want you to get involved with this."

"Involved in what, exactly?" Thunder asks.

"I think that it would be better to let him explain. Follow me." He tells us as he begins walking into the forest.

"Hold up." I say, skeptical. "And how do we know this isn't a trap? For all we know, you could also be a Zoroark yourself."

Jasi stops for a moment, contemplating my words. "...I suppose that I can't really prove that to you. You'll just have to risk it."

"I say we should head back to Pokemon Paradise and get our allies over here first."

"Well... Problem..." Thunder says regretfully. "We left our supply bag, with the Entercards inside, back at the house... It may or may not be safe to go back there." Fair point. They could be all over the house by now. And staying out all night to wait for the morning Wailord Ferry is extremely risky. So Jasi may very well be our safest option.

"Crap..." I mutter to my self. "Alright. We'll come with you, Jasi."

"Then let's hurry. They'll probably be combing the area for you."

? ﾟﾕﾒ? ﾟﾕﾖ? ﾟﾕﾛ

We walk through the rest of the night, jumping at the slightest sound or mangled shadow that we encounter. But as daybreak arrives, we reach an extremely dense wall of trees. How anyone could find this in the vast forest is beyond me.

"Word of advice to you two. Be on your best behavior. We can get a bit... Jumpy... If things seem strange. Let me handle the talking." As we approach Jasi does a pattern of knocks on one of the tree trunks.

"The forest is quite beautiful tonight, wouldn't you say?" What? It's not night time. It's dawn. And I wouldn't exactly call the forest beautiful. Even at night. Dark and secluded would be more appropriate.

Though after he says those words the tree... Opens up? The front swings open like a door, revealing another Raichu. It appears that they hollowed out a section of the tree to act as a hidden entrance. Nice.

"Are these two with you?" The Raichu asks Jasi.

"They are. I'm taking Dova here to see General Sadu." General? What's with all this military talk?

"So the son had come to visit, eh? And the Snivy?"

"Friend of his. Risked his life to save him."

"Friends like that are few and far between. Alright. You're free to enter." Jasi gives him a nod and we enter the doorway into a rather unexpected sight. The thick wall of trees encircles a large clearing which is occupied by a rather large encampment. Raichu, Pikachu, and the occasional Pichu occupy this encampment and are going about their daily business.

"What is this place?" I ask.

"This is our main base." Jasi answers. "The conflict with the Zoroark has driven us and our loved ones into hiding. This is where we call home." A conflict with the Zoroark... Is this a war? Have we waltzed right into a war zone? "Follow me. And Alex, don't stare. As a Snivy, you already draw attention, so be inconspicuous.

"Noted."

? ﾟﾕﾒ? ﾟﾕﾖ? ﾟﾕﾛ

We soon reach a smallish tent that appears to act as one of many living spaces for the residents. Here's hoping no one here has claustrophobia.

"General Sadu."Jasi says to the tent's resident. "You were right. They lured him here. But he's alive and well."

"Dova?!" His response is to immediately throw open the tent entrance. The old Raichu's eyes spark with recognition as he stands face to face with his son. "It's been so long... Last I saw you, you were only a tiny Pichu. So small you probably can't even remember me. Now look at you."

"Dad..." Thunder's voice gets choked up as he gives his "true" father. A tight embrace. "You're right. I don't remember. Tell me. Please. Tell me what it was like back then."

A sorrowful expression grows on Sadu's face. "I suppose you have a right to know what happened. You're definitely old enough for it. Back before I lost you, we were a happy family of three, me, my wife, Kosa the Pikachu, and you. I had a job at the local dojo, training Pokemon in competitive combat. It was a good life. Well, until I entered into the GPCT."

"The GPCT?" I ask. Apparently he was so focused on seeing Thunder again that he completely disregarded my existence. Though he seems to know who I am. Normally I'd be surprised, but considering what I'm known for here it makes sense that I'd be a household name.

"The Global Pokemon Combat Tournament. Not sure if there's anything like it where you're from, but it's a tournament bracket that Pokemon from around the world attend for the title of 'Pokemon combat champion.' During that competition I faced off against a Zorua.

"Perhaps due to carelessness or the heat of the moment I overdid my knockout strike. It killed him. His father, Zoroark Asva, swore revenge and the controversy led to me losing my job. And just when I thought things couldn't get worse, he attacked my home. Killing my wife and driving you away. I had lost everything. Ever since then things have escalated. Old tensions between our kinds from the Great War resurfaced and we started a new war."

Right. The Great War. I remember reading about it. I was reminded heavily of the world wars we had on earth. It appears that they were just as destructive as ours. "And for about two decades we've been fighting. But we will not rest until they are defeated." So we are caught in a war... This is bad.

"Have you tried diplomacy?" I ask.

"That would never work. Zoroark are bloodthirsty monsters. They only understand violence."

"Seems like a narrow point of view."

"Listen, human. You don't know them like I do. I've seen them wipe out entire villages of our kind. Men. Women, children, not even the eggs were spared. They are evil. You cannot reason with evil."

"I don't believe in evil. To me there's a motivation and logic, however flawed and immoral it may be, behind every mindset." We lock gazes for a moment. Which is ended by Sadu chuckling.

"I admire your adherence to your ideals. Not something you see very often. Anyways, you two must be exhausted. We have an open tent in the barracks section you can use. I'll mark that it's occupied by civilians so the Sargent won't scream your ears off."

"Much appreciated, General Sadu."

"Please. Just Sadu. No need for formalities."


	5. Dark Memories

Raichu Sadu

Sadu watches as the two of them leave to get some much needed sleep. It was good to see his son again. It had been so long. For the longest time he had feared the worst. Until he saw his picture in the newspaper. It relived him to see his son alive and well.

Memories flood his mind. And the fun he had with him before everything fell apart. But the memory that sticks out the most was the fateful day that everything changed...

? ﾟﾕﾘ? ﾟﾕﾒ? ﾟﾕﾐ

"I can't believe this!" Sadu yelled in anger. "They're firing me! They'd rather save face than keep me! I've worked there for over thirty years!" Sparks started emitting from his cheeks as he became more and more frustrated.

"I'm sorry, honey." Kosa said as she sat next to him at the dining room table. "I'm sure there are other places that would hire you in their stead."

"Not sure any business would want to employ someone who murdered someone."

"Come on. It was an accident. You know that."

"That's not what the press seems to think."

"We just need to wait for it to blow over. I'm sure my job can cover us in the meantime." Sadu's only response was a sigh. He just couldn't believe that his friends and colleagues would believe overblown media hype over his own word. Well... Except for Jasi. That Raichu wouldn't leave his side for anything. But with everyone else, it felt like a stab in the back. "You know, maybe a night out will cheer you up. Our Haxorus neighbors are offering to pay for dinner out with us. Plus I'm sure Dova would love to see Axew Ason again."

As usual, she was right. A gathering with friends would probably help lighten the mood. "Is Dova done with his schoolwork?" He asked.

"Just about. He should be ready by-" Kosa stopped mid sentence as her eyes darted to the window.

"What's wrong?"

"There's a stranger outside. Just... Staring..." Sadu turned to face the figure. Almost instantly he recognized who it was.

"Asva..." No doubt he was here for revenge as he swore the night of the incident. "Kosa, get Dova somewhere safe. He wants me." Kosa opened her mouth to retort, but Sadu cut her short. "Now is not the time to argue. Hurry." After a momentary hesitation, she agreed and went upstairs to see to Dova's safety.

Seeing this sudden movement, Asva made his move. Lunging through the window at the Raichu. Though this attack was fruitless as Sadu quickly dodged out of the way.

"I should have killed you long before you fought my son." The Zoroark growled angrily. "I suppose I should remedy that."

"Asva, I never meant to hurt him! I promise you!"

"I will not be trapped in your lies, Raichu! I will see to it that this house is painted red when I'm done with you!" He lunged forward, his claws swinging through the air, narrowly missing their target. Sadu doesn't miss a beat, using his skills learned from his years of experience to get an edge. He struck with each misstep, slowly whittling down his opponent's stamina. The fight appeared in his favor. But then he gave Asva an opening. And he took advantage of it. A heavy strike cut across his chest, staggering the Raichu and doing significant harm. Blood dripped from the wound and the attackers claw, though you couldn't tell with the latter as it blended in with the claw's natural red color.

With that mistake the fight quickly shifted balance. Relentless attack after relentless attack. Before long, Sadu was laying on the ground, defeated.

"Now, time to end this." Asva growled as he readies a shadow ball.

"Daddy!" Came the young voice of his Pichu son. Dova had rushed out to see what was happening.

"So you have a son as well?" Asva chuckles, a dark grin creeping across his face. "Then I guess it's 'eye for an eye' then." He turns to face the tiny Pokemon, looming over him. Sadu couldn't believe his ears. Was he actually going to kill Dova?!

"Dova! Run!" He yelled. But the young child was frozen in fear. Shivering timidly as his assailant stared down at him.

"Say goodbye to your beloved kid, Sadu." Asva readied to impale the young one with his claws. All the while Sadu was helpless to do anything. He cried out in desperation, begging for him to spare his son's life.

Just as he was about to deal the lethal blow, however, Kosa intervened. Pushing Dova out of harms way. This, unfortunately, put her in the firing line. Asva brought his razor sharp claws down on his target, stabbing them beep into Kosa's form. A cry of pain was all she could do before her life was taken.

"NO! KOSA!" Sadu screamed. This monster had killed his wife! The love of his life! He refused to show it, but his heart shattered. Seeing the woman he met so very long ago, adored, proposed to, and built a family with taken before his very eyes was a blow that crushed him.

"I think that will suffice as revenge." Asva said to him. "Be thankful I'm not killing you as well. If I see you again, it will be the last time. Goodbye." And with that, he left.

Sadu had lost everything. His career, his wife, his family. Dova was nowhere to be seen. Must have fled in panic. And then there's the corpse of his wife and soulmate. Unable to keep his stoic image any longer, he broke down into tears. Consumed by grief and rage. It was all Asva's fault. He did this. He ruined his life. And he will suffer for it. Oh, he will suffer...

? ﾟﾕﾒ? ﾟﾕﾖ? ﾟﾕﾛ

He had searched for Dova for so long. Hoping to find him hiding in the town. But no such luck. At the time he was as good as gone. From that point on, things changed. The war began and the fighting started. For 20 years this fight has raged. And his anger still burns bright. He will see to it that Asva perishes. And he will not let anyone get in his way...


	6. Enemy Among Us

I don't like this place. At all. It feels... Hateful. Violent. I know this is a war, but everyone I've met here has a burning hatred for the enemy. It feels less like people fighting to end a threat and more like them trying to eradicate them completely. Talking around, I got a few more relevant tidbits of information.

It appears that during the Great War the Zoroark and Raichu were bitter enemies. They fought on opposite ends of the war and clashed numerous times. My guess is that those anti-Zoroark ideals are what I'm seeing here. Just what we needed to get tangled up in. A race war.

I am woken up the next morning by pained cries and urgent chatter.

"What on earth is going on out there..." I muse to myself.

"Whatever it is, it sounds bad." Thunder adds. I jump slightly. I had thought he was still asleep.

"Did it wake you up too?"

"More or less. Should we look?"

? ﾟﾕﾒ? ﾟﾕﾖ? ﾟﾕﾛ

It appears that the infirmary tent is flooded with wounded Raichu. Possibly back from a deadly skirmish.

"We don't have enough supplies for this! If this keeps up the death toll is going to skyrocket!" I overhear a paramedic yell in frustration. What does he mean by "if this keeps up?"

"We should ask around. See what we can learn." I say. Thunder nods in agreement and pulls assisted a Raichu looking on as well.

"Excuse me, what exactly is going on here?"

"Another ambush." He replies. "We've been dealing with it for weeks now. Every time we move our people somewhere, those blackfurs are there waiting for us!" Hm... Suspicious...

"Sounds like there may be a spy..." I add, drawing the Raichu's attention. And goodness, he can pull off quite the stink eye.

"Don't worry. He's with me." Thunder reassures. This seems to calm him a little. Though he still is looking at me warily.

"Well, that's what many people are thinking. A Zoroark spy. But that illusion power of theirs makes it near impossible to spot them without doing a systematic sweep. And if people start getting accused of being a spy, there will likely be trouble." Well... Not the only option... Recently, I learned of a new ability that I have. Being snakelike in my biological structure, I possess many things they do. One of those being the forked tongue. On earth snakes use this to catch scent particles to track their prey. And considering that I've seen other snake Pokemon flickering their tongues before, I had decided to test it. I gathered Thunder's scent and had him hid from me. And it worked beautifully. I was consistently able to track him down. I decided to give this ability the name of "Snivy Sense." I guess I was in a bit of a silly mood.

So if I knew what scent was like, I could search the camp and perhaps find our spy. But... Do I want to? Sure, it would prevent these ambushes, but considering what I've seen from these Pokemon, revealing him could be a bit of a bloodbath. But between the greater casualties that this informant causes and his or her own life, I feel that I should search for them.

"I may be able to help." I announce.

"How?" The Raichu asks skeptically.

"I can track things by scent. If I knew what they smelled like, I could seek them out."

"And how do I know you're not one of them?" Yeesh. Paranoid one. Though considering their enemy, it's kind of justified.

"Go get a squad of trained soldiers. Have them escort me. If I start acting out, they'll be there to take care of it." A second or two passes as he considers my suggestion.

"Alright. Come with me. I'm not letting you out of my sight."

"Fair enough. Lead on."

? ﾟﾕﾒ? ﾟﾕﾖ? ﾟﾕﾛ

After checking the scent of a tuft of Zoroark fur that a Raichu managed to tear off during a fight, I began my first thing I noticed was that I detected trace amounts in the military sections of the compound. Makes sense. The fighters would likely be in physical contact with them. But the target will most definitely have more than a trace of it. Time wears on and I begin to narrow down the search area. That's when I detect a very strong Zoroark scent.

"They're close..." I tell my escort and Thunder. "Be ready." The squad leader nods in response, telling his men to be on alert. The search turns into a high stakes game of hot-and-cold as I continue to search the area. Little by little I close in on the location. And sure enough, we reached someone. It was a Pikachu... From the outside at least. The undeniably potent Zoroark smell says otherwise. "There. That's him."

I brace myself for what comes next. My escort breaks away and surrounds the target. The squad leader smacks him with his tail and with a puff of smoke, the spy is revealed. A small Zorua. His expression of pure terror is definitely going to haunt me for a long, long time. And then they begin to beat him. No restraint. No care for his well being. They were going to beat him to death. No... I can't let this happen...

"Wait!" I yell. "Stop!" And to my surprise they do. And the Zorua looks at me with pleading eyes, begging me to get them to leave him alone. "Don't you think he's more useful alive? I mean, he has to report to someone. And that could trail back to their base. He may have information we can use." I watch as the squad leader ponders my proposal. Until finally he responds.

"Very well. We'll take him to the holding cells. Let's see what information we can squeeze out of him." With that, they grab the Tricky Fox Pokemon and make their way to the aforementioned holding cells. And I'm just left questioning my actions.

"Alex?" Thunder inquires, concerned. "Are you feeling alright?"

"I'm just wondering if I did the right thing... I may have sentenced him to death. But had he been left alone, many more Raichu would probably fall victim. I never wanted to be involved in this."

"I understand... But you did the best you could."

"This was supposed to be a happy trip. We meet your father, chat, and have fun. But... This is not what I wanted.

"Me either... But we just have to work with what we have. Not what we wish we had."

"I suppose... Let's head back. There's nothing else for us to do here.


	7. Mercy

A few days have passed since we discovered the spy. My actions have made the Raichu a little more trusting of me. Though I'm not sure that's a good thing. I made it clear that I didn't want the prisoner hurt too badly, though the majority of responses were laughs, eye rolls, or any other dismissive gestures. I seriously hoped that they weren't abusing him... Though that is very likely.

"Alex? Are you ok?" Thunder asks me. It's approaching nighttime and we are getting ready to tuck in. Sadu has said that he's sent some men to get our Entercards back so we can get back home. He says that if everything goes well, they should be back by tomorrow morning. But my mind is centered on... Other things.

"I can't stop thinking about the Zorua. That look he gave me when he was found out... That was the face of someone fearing for their life. You'd think that being a prisoner, you'd be able to return to your life when all is said and done."

"You think he knows something that we don't?"

"That's my fear."

"Then maybe we should see? Check to be sure."

"Yeah. That could help. Let's do that."

? ﾟﾕﾒ? ﾟﾕﾖ? ﾟﾕﾛ

I was hoping that it wasn't true. I was hoping that the Raichu would at the very least treat their prisoners with some measure of decency. I couldn't be farther from the truth. The fact that practicality every cell was empty and blood stained was a sign of that. The entire prison area was outside and exposed to the elements. Anyone in the cells would have no choice but to face the cold nights or rain in the event of a storm. I have to fight my gag reflex to endure the potent stench of blood and smoking fur (likely from electric shocks) that permeates the entire section.

"This is what I was afraid of...I think this is more akin to death row than a prison... Just waiting your turn for the slaughterhouse."

"Oh look." I hear a strained voice call from a nearby cell. "My captors. You've come to gloat?" It was the spy. And he looks terrible. Beaten, burned and bleeding.

"No. We haven't." I respond. "What have they done to you..."

"Interrogation. Though it's more like torture. I don't think they truly care if the get the information."

"I can't believe it's this bad... This is just cruel..."

"It's not like my side is any better. The Zoroark is just as if not more sadistic to their captives. This whole conflict is just an exercise in cruelty."

"I've noticed. It's just horrific."

"I can't believe my father would allow this..." Thunder mutters, shocked at the state the Zorua is in.

"Your father did this to me personally. I'm surprised his son would feel sympathy for me when he wouldn't." His words shook Thunder to the core. To hear that it was his own father who did this must be too much to bear.

"No... No he couldn't have... Not him... That's..." Tears start to well in his eyes. I lay a hand on his shoulder to try and comfort him.

"You know, it's nice to see that there are those on their side who think that this is wrong. Maybe peace is an option..."

"Huh? What do you mean?" If he knows something that could end this conflict peacefully, I'm all for it.

"There are some on my side that feel that this has gone on for too long. They're trying to convince our leader, Asva, that we need to stop. Though we keep it mostly under wraps because one of the commanders, Kavi, has a nasty habit of 'demoting' those he sees as traitors." Yeesh. Sounds like someone to avoid.

"Sadly I haven't heard anything like that around here. The people wanting peace, I mean. Not the commander. But perhaps Thunder could talk sense into Sadu..."

"I say it's worth a try." My friend agrees.

"And if you let me out, I could perhaps bring you to help with convincing the other side." Zorua tells me.

"We need some assurance that you won't bail on us given the opportunity." I respond. "For all we know this could be an elaborate trick to escape."

"That's true... But would my escape be that bad? If I stay here I'll die for sure. But if I'm out I have a chance to make it." Augh... This decision again... Let him out and risk having him reporting back and sending an army to slaughter the Raichu, or leave him here to die a likely excruciating death. But at the same time, if he is telling the truth... Is it worth the risk?

I turn to face my companion. "I'd love some input here, Thunder."

"Go for it. If things go wrong we can easily pop back over to paradise tomorrow morning to get some help."

"...Alright. Then let's do it. Now, thing is if someone sees your cage empty it will raise red flags. So I'll have to 'kill' you." I use air quotes to make sure he understands. Judging by the smirk he appears to agree. His expression quickly changes to one of pleading and fear.

"Wait!" He screams. "I have a family! Friends! Don't kill me! Please!" At first I'm confused, but his wink tells me that he was acting. And it was convincing. Now for my turn... I put on the best sinister grin I could conjure up.

"So you do... Well, we'll get to them soon enough. Enjoy burning in the dark world, worthless blackfur!" I bring my leaf tail's sharpened point down into the muddy floor of the cell. Taking the cue, the Zorua screams in fear, then does the most disturbingly realistic death gurgle I have ever heard.

After a moment of silence, Thunder speaks up. "Arceus, your little killer act scared me. I'm glad you're so opposed to killing."

"Yeah." The Zorua adds. "My little fear act was not entirely made up. Part of me thought you would actually kill me."

"You were really good yourself." I add. "I guarantee you that anyone in the prison area is thoroughly convinced you died. Now," I slap my tail in the bloody mud in on the cell floor. Trying to make it look like I had actually stabbed someone. Ugh... It just occurred to me how horrific this is... "I should carry your 'dead' body out to wherever they take the corpses. That way we won't have to worry about you getting caught."

"Sounds good. And... Thank you for doing this."

"Yeah. Let's just hope that we are getting closer to ending this war..."


	8. Jailbreak

After having Zorua cast an illusion that showed a gaping stab wound through the chest and making him look as dead as possible, I started dragging him to the mass grave sight for all of the Zoroark victims. Because it was at night, I didn't run into very many Raichu, so I didn't have to worry too much about explaining myself.

Soon, the three of us reach the dumping area. And as to be expected, the smell of decaying corpses is beyond revolting.

"We're not out of danger yet..." I whisper to Zorua. "I see someone standing guard. I'm going to have to be a bit rough with tossing you on the pile."

"If it means getting out of here alive, I'm willing to do it." He responds.

"Don't forget your end of the bargain."

"I haven't. Don't worry." We reach the dumping zone. And I thought it smelled bad from afar... Trying to get the job done as soon as possible I throw the "body" as soon as I am with in throwing distance. He slams into the side of it and rolls down to the the bottom. Hopefully he wasn't too hurt by that.

At that point the smell gets too much and I gag. Drawing the guards attention. He looks me over and hopefully buys the story that we layed out.

"The smell is quite something, isn't it?" The Raichu guard jokes, casually. Whew. I think we're good.

"How do you stand this?! It's vile!"

"I've learned to out of necessity."

"I suppose that's true... Sorry. I can't stand it any longer. I have to go."

"Alright. Take care." With the conversation over, I hastily turn to leave. Returning to Thunder who decided to stay well away from the vile mound. I honestly don't blame him.

"Did it work?" he asks.

"Like a charm."

"Great! We're making progress."

"Yeah. But things are about to get a lot more dangerous. For me, anyway. You'll probably be fine."

"You've been through much worse, Alex. Don't worry too much." We both know that it's time to part ways now. With a quick hug, we both turn to leave. "Good luck, Alex." He says to me as he goes.

"You too, Thunder." With that I turn my attention back to the dumping pile. Hopefully, Zorua's illusion powers are enough to keep him hidden from sight. I start making my way to the rendezvous point outside near the outermost edge of the tree wall. Our window of opportunity is small. Here's hoping we do it right...

? ﾟﾕﾒ? ﾟﾕﾖ? ﾟﾕﾛ

"Ugh... And I thought the cells were bad..." Zorua now reeked of blood and decay. If I never have to smell that again it will be too soon. "There had to have been an easier and less revolting way to do this..."

"I'm sure I could have thought of something, given time. Though something tells me that wasn't in the highest supply."

"Whatever. What's the plan now?"

"We climb."

"The trees? I can't do that! Especially not like this!"

"I can. And I can carry you." To show him what I mean, I wrap one of my vines around his torso, tightening it and securing it in a knot.

"Oh... I _really_ don't like heights..."

"Just take deep breaths, don't look down, and close your eyes if you need to." Okay, first things first. I need to find a place to latch onto and rappel up. I see a nice, thick branch jutting out from the side of the tree. That'll be my first target. I throw out my vine to the branch. Once I see and feel it connect, I quickly coil it around it. A few tugs to test its strength and I'm ready to go. "Alright Zorua. It's time to go." I start climbing my vine, going slowly as to not accidentally pull the branch off.

"Oh no... No no no no no... Please no..." Was all I was hearing from my passenger. That and more than a few curses. I don't let it distract me as I climb higher and higher until I reach the branch. Now to find the next branch...

"If you wouldn't mind, please try and keep quiet. The dark of night may hide us, but it won't matter if they hear us."

"I'm... I'm trying... Acrophobia isn't exactly easy to control." There. There's the next branch. After this we should be able to climb out over the tree itself. I latch on and pull myself up.

"Ok. Almost there. We just need to get to the other side of the tree and lower ourselves down." Turning back around, I see the poor Zorua shivering in fear, clinging to the tree for dear life. "Ok. Just follow my lead. I've still got you." He shakily nods and treads carefully behind me. We cross over onto an outstretched branch outside the encampment.

"Now, all we need to do i-" my sentence was cut off by the one sound I didn't want to hear, the branch breaking. It can't hold our weight. "Oh frick..."

The branch falls, taking us with it. At this hight, we won't survive the fall. Unless... I scour the area and see a horizontal branch on a nearby tree. With no other option, I take advantage of it, latching onto it with my vine and holding on with a death grip. We swing forward with more force than I can handle, forcing me to let go.

We start tumbling across the ground, eventually coming to a stop with only a few additional bruises.

"We're dead aren't we?" My terrified companion mutters. "We died. The fall killed us."

"No. We are, by some incredible force of luck, alive." Zorua opens his eyes and, after seeing us firmly planted on terra firma, immediately relaxes his tense muscles and breaths a heavy sigh of relief.

"Let's **never** do that again."

"Agreed."

? ﾟﾕﾒ? ﾟﾕﾖ? ﾟﾕﾛ

 _Thunder_

The morning sun rises. And Thunder's part of the plan comes into play. Wasting as little time as possible, he washes up and makes his way over to his father's tent.

"Dad?" He calls. "Are you there? I need to talk to you about something."

"Dova." Sadu replies, opening up the tent flap. "I was just about to send for you."

"Really? Why?" Suddenly, his father's face grows stern.

"Has your friend Alex ever seemed... Untrustworthy?" What? What's this about?

"No. Not at all... Why?"

"Because one of our scouts just reported seeing him and the Zorua spy fleeing the encampment together last night. And I desperately hope you're not in on this..."


	9. Compromised

_Thunder_

Crap... Looks like Alex wasn't as inconspicuous as he had hoped. Things just got significantly more difficult.

"Look, dad," Thunder starts. "I need you to hear me out."

"Oh... No..." Sadu mutters, horrified by the implications of what he's hearing. "What has that filthy grass snake told you? I'll be sure to burn him to cinders when we get our hands on him..."

"Listen to me! This war has no point! Say you find a way to kill Zoroark Azva. What then? You can't just resume an old life! Not after everything you've done!"

"That Zoroark did that already. Killed my wife, sent you away, and ruined my career. I have nothing left to lose."

"How many have died since this started? Hundreds? Well the longer this goes on, the higher that number will climb. And the more lives that get ruined."

"As soon as that murderous blackfur is six feet under, I can rest easy."

"But it won't stop there! These people hate each other with passion. You leave, the war doesn't end. It keeps going. And you'll still be a target."

"Then I will fight until they all die if I need to."

"Dad! Listen to yourself! Killing off an entire group of Pokemon?! I don't care how much you want them dead, I can't let you do something this violent!"

Sadu's expression turns somber. "...I didn't want to do this, Dova. But you leave me no choice. Jasi, apprehend him."

"What?!" Thunder stares into his father's eyes, shocked by what he's hearing. Jasi is quick to hit him with thunder wave, rendering him defenseless. "You can't do this! I'm your son!"

"Take him to his sleeping quarters. Post guards to monitor him. But make sure they don't use lethal force." Sadu turns to his son, saddened. "I promise that once this is over you'll be free to go. But I need to make sure you don't get in the way. I'm sorry."

"Father... Please..." But Sadu did nothing. Thunder is, sadly, forced to accept defeat. His father is too bent on revenge, even at the cost of so many lives. He can't believe that this is happening... All three are silent as he is taken to his tent and put inside. Guards take their positions in front of the entryway, determined not to let him past.

"Alex..." He says quietly to himself. "I hope you're having better luck than me..."

 _Alex_

"How much further?" I ask. We've been traveling northward for quite some time. I'm still on edge as I don't completely know if I can trust my new friend. But I've come this far...

"Not far." He replies. "It's within the caves to the north of Cerulean Lake,"

"Good. Maybe I can rest a little when we get there." A brief silence envelopes us. "Question, what made you join the war? You don't seem so keen on fighting."

"Mostly my parents. Arceus bless their souls. They fought because they were targeted. Not because of hatred. Not being unnecessarily cruel. So when they died I... I wanted to honor their memories. But I'm not much of a fighter, but I'm quite good with illusions."

"So they assigned you to espionage duty?"

"Yeah. I was feeding them information for quite a while."

"Wait, if you knew where their base was for do long, why haven't they attacked it?"

"Asva isn't too keen on sending Zoroark to a battle that will have such a high mortality rate. It would be a costly fight to break through the defenses and then tear through the base. Instead, my task is to whittle down their defenses so we would have an easier time."

"Makes sense."

"Alright. We're here. Stay close. They don't like outsiders."

"Don't worry. I'm used to it." I let Zorua lead the way, knowing he'd be much more easily trusted. The guards stationed at the entrance look at him with relieved surprise.

"Poki? Your alive! When you failed to check in yesterday we feared the worst." Ah. His pack name is Poki. Ugh, Azva Kavi, Sadu, Dova, Kosa, these pack names are so easy to mix up...

"It's good to see you too, Yuni. If it wasn't for Alex here I would have most certainly died."

"Then you have our thanks, Alex." She says as she turns to me.

"Happy to help. Now... I have a favor to ask. I need to speak with Azva." With that, they tense up, I can only assume that they are now suspicious of my intentions.

"And why is that?" Yuni asks.

"He wants this war over." Poki answers. "Without bloodshed. He's hoping to make progress in soothing relations."

"I've got a friend doing the same with the Raichu. Between the both of us we're hoping to end the war."

The guards think for a moment. "...very well. But we will escort you. Do not stray away from us."

"Fair enough. Let's go."

? ﾟﾕﾒ? ﾟﾕﾖ? ﾟﾕﾛ

The Zoroark base is cramped, dark and claustrophobic. With very little light, with the exception of the occasional lantern, navigation is extremely difficult. I'm glad we have guides to show us the way, otherwise I'd be very lost.

Eventually the tunnels open up into a large underground chamber. The chamber is decorated with multiple lanterns, making it the brightest part of the base we've been to. I can see multiple tunnels branching out to, presumably, different parts of the base.

We approach one of the tunnels. The walls are lined with doors marked with numbers. I'm guessing resting quarters. We walk up to the door marked #139 and Yuni knocks.

"Sir, we have someone who wishes to speak with you."

"Let them in." An older voice calls from the other side. Yuni opens the door and let's us enter. We are greeted to the sight of an aged Zoroark. His fur has begun to grey in places, creating a stark contrast to his mostly black fur. "So, who might you be?"

"Alex Russet. Leader and co-founder of Team New Hope. I trust you've heard of us."

"Absolutely. Of course, your relationship with your Pikachu friend may not sit will with some of our people here. But enough of that. You have something to say?"

"Yes. I'd like to be a neutral party in peace talks for ending the war."

"...Peace... Such a different goal. I admit, I've entertained the thought myself. Wondered if this was all worth it."

"So you're willing to hear me out?"

"No, he is not." A gruff voice from behind us interrupts. "There will be no negotiations. Only the enemy's annihilation." Turning around I see another Zoroark. This one clearly battle worn with several large scars adorning his body. Poki shrinks away in fear at this newcomer. Not a good sign.

"Who're you?" I ask.

"My name is Zoroark Kavi. And you're not welcome here."


	10. Opposition

"So you're Kavi." I say to him, trying to keep my cool. But if he's half as dangerous as Poki is acting like he is, I'm in serious danger.

"I see our spy has informed you about me."

"Well, only that you're a bit... Ruthless."

"That I am. I've learned from experience that fear can get results." I fight the urge to debate his claim. I do not need this guy on worse terms with me than he already is. "I've heard about you, human. Heck, the entire eastern hemisphere has heard about you. News hasn't quite made landfall in the west. You have a reputation, Alex Russet. You and your filthy rodent friend." I once again hold back my retort for the rodent comment.

"We have. And I'm hoping that I can act as a neutral party to negot-"

"You're allied with one of them. You're far from neutral. And there will be no peace talks. Not when I have a say in it."

"Kavi. Enough." Asva interrupts. "Let's at least hear him out before dismissing him."

"You can't be serious Asva... He's with them!"

"And he's made no attempt to resist, harm, or otherwise damage our faction. And like you said, Alex has a reputation. Considering his past exploits, I'm sure he's honest in his words."

"Asva... You are making a profoundly idiotic mistake here. You present yourself to them, you're asking to die in a shallow grave."

"You're concerns are noted, Kavi. Now please. Leave us. Both of you." He looks to Poki. "There is a lot we need to discuss." With a snarl Kavi begrudgingly turns to exit the door. I know for certain that this is not the last I've seen of him. Poki is much more willing, though moving quite fast to get as much distance as possible between him and Kavi.

"You'll understand if I rest in a more... Hidden... Area than the barracks, right? I'd prefer that I'm not killed in my sleep."

"I apologize. Kavi is quite strong in his beliefs that the Raichu are irredeemable."

"I've noticed. So, we just need to wait for word from Thunder, my friend over on their end. Once we have an idea on the status of both sides, we can decide how to proceed. In the meantime, I'll probably be around Cerulean City doing my daily business. And watching my back. Kavi will probably try and kill me the first chance he gets."

"He would probably try. Though I think he underestimates you."

"Better to assume he knows what I'm capable of. There's no room for mistakes there."

"I suppose you're right." The room drops into silence for a moment. "I wonder... Were my actions... Justified?"

"What do you mean?"

"Back when my son died... I was so full of rage... I only wanted him to suffer like I had. But... What I did... Was it justified?"

"Depends on who you ask. But I think the honorable thing would have been to turn the other cheek. Not stoop to his level, if the kill was even intentional in the first place. Be the better Pokemon and take the high ground."

"But... I could never forgive him for it... The rage would stay with me forever."

"So you'd have to learn to let go. The past is the past and cannot be altered. You can only look to the future."

"...you're right. Thank you Alex."

"My pleasure."

 _Kavi_

 _This Snivy... He is a serious threat to my plans... He wants to bring everything I've worked towards to a grinding halt. And he's somehow convinced Asva that "peace" is the right solution... No. I've worked too hard for too long to let him stop me. I must act. And I'll be sure to show his Pikachu friend his severed head when I'm done... I want that to be the last thing he remembers..._

 _Thunder_

"Dova..." Sadu's voice calls from behind the tent flap.

"What do you want." Thunder replies sourly. He had been trying to figure out how he could possibly escape. But there's no way that would garentee success.

"I'd figure you'd want to know. The fight is almost over."

This quickly grabs his attention. "What do you mean?"

"You're right about how deadly this war is. The sooner it ends, the better. And now we have a chance to do so."

"I don't think you mean peacefully..."

"Remember your snivy friend? We've been tracking him. Our scout just came back. With the location of the Zoroark base. We're going to fight our final battle there." Thunder's eyes widen in horror. This plan could not have backfired any worse! Not only has he failed to convince Sadu, now they're going to assault the Zoroark base! The ensuing battle will be the bloodiest one yet...

"Sadu, it's going to be a massacre! Not just for the Zoroark but for you as well! Hundreds are going to die!"

"With all the atrocities they've committed, it'll be worth it. Every fallen Raichu will be remembered as a hero."

"No, they'll be seen as killers! Dad, I'm begging you, don't do this! How many children will grow up like I did? Parents dead from a hate war, lost and confused, do you want to do that to them?" Thunder's words dig deep into Sadu's heart. Doubt floods his face. Thunder's done it! He's struck a chord! But after a few moments of silence, that hope is shattered.

"It's a sacrifice we have to make... I can't let their deeds go unpunished. I'm sorry Dova. I pray that you forgive me when I return." Thunder's ears fall flat to his sides. That was his last chance. He failed... "Goodbye Dova." His father says, leaving the tent.

Frustrated, Thunder punches the walls of his tent, only for them to be pushed back by his punch, robbing him of a satisfying impact. Alex in serious danger. A bloodbath is about to begin. And there's not a thing he can do to change it... This wasn't supposed to happen! This was supposed to be a heartfelt reunion! He was supposed to meet his long lost family. Instead he became entangled in a conflict fueled by hate and revenge. And now Alex could very easily be killed...

"Why Arceus... Why have you done this to me..." He croaks out from his cracking voice. And once again tears stream down his face.


	11. Deadly Illusion

"Come on, Thunder..." I mumble silently to myself. "I should have heard **something** by now..." Thoughts run through my head. Was he able to convince Sadu? Was he hurt in some way? no... no this train of thought won't go anywhere but bad places. I need to stay focused... I may need to return to the Raichu base. Though there's no garentee that I'll be welcomed back...

A distant clap of thunder catches my attention. I had heard that a big storm was headed our way, so I wanted to see what everyone was talking about. Looking over the horizon I can see a large storm cloud slowly inching its way northward. Judging by the sheer frequency of lightning bolts arcing between the sky and ground, it's going to be one heck of a storm. I'll have to stay inside the Zoroark base tonight... but that means increasing the likelihood of being killed by Kavi.

I was so engrossed in my own thoughts that i almost missed something darting across the corner of my vision. At first I dismiss it as jumping at shadows, but seeing it again makes me thing otherwise. I'm not alone here.

"I know you're there!" I call out. "And I'm not fond of being stalked!" I wait for a moment. No response. I can feel my body preparing for the worst. preparing to fight to survive. I use my "Snivy Sense" to try and get a read on my stalker. Zoroark scent... not a good sign...

"Is that you, Kavi?" I ask, beginning to become paranoid. If it is him, he's probably toying with me. Another flash of black, closer this time. He's playing on my fears. trying to get me to panic and make a mistake. And it's starting to work. I can feel my heartbeat pulse inside my chest, a steady thumping of my terrified body.

He streaks past my vision again. He's only a few feet away now. "Just stop toying with me and actually show yourself!" I scream. I have long since lost my composure. I am ill prepared for what he does next.

"As you wish..." Kavi's voice echoes from every direction. Fantastic... I'm trapped in an illusion... a world of his own making. Suddenly several copies of Kavi flash into being, charging at me teeth bared. By sheer luck I manage to avoid being chomped in half. At least the initial shock has worn off. Now I can actually concentrate on the situation.

I let my experience take over, rolling, dodging and evading what he throws my way.

"I'm impressed." his voice echoes. "But we both know that it's only a matter of time before you slip up. Then you'll be mine..." He's right... sooner or later I'll mess up. And he'll be there for the kill. One of these guys must be the real Kavi... I just need to stall for time. Figure out which one to attack.

"Not really a fair fight, is it? I see honor is not really a strong suit of yours."

"What good is honor if it gets you killed? It's dirty, but necessary." Another flurry of strikes follows. He's trying to put me off balance. And if I'm not careful, he will. But I **need** to find where he's at. Which one... which one. "I can do this all day, Alex. And please don't hand this to me. It's not satisfying if it's not earned."

"Not planning on it..." I notice one of the clones trying to stay towards the back while the rest lead the charge. Could that be the real Kavi? Only one way to find out. Prepping several razor leaves, I steel myself for the next wave.

"Good. now how about we end this?" With that, they charge headlong at me. I fan out my razor leaves so they all connect with a target. And one by one, the clones vanish in plumes of smoke. But to my surprise, there's no one left. No true Kavi to focus on. He couldn't have just van- /p

My questions were answered by a shadow ball to the back of my skull, slamming my face hard into the ground. In the confusion he must have slipped around behind me. "You actually thought that would work?" he taunts. "You insult me. And I don't take kindly to insults, snake." I feel his fingers wrap around the back of my head, gripping tight. Squeezing. Trying to crush me. "What's the matter? I would had hoped the great Alex Russet would put up more of a fight."

"There's an old-ergh... saying from back on Earth..." I mutter through pained breaths. "'Be careful what you wish for... you might... just get it!'" To show him what i mean, i use my giga drain attack, grabbing hold of one of his claws and sucking away a portion of his vitality and using it to revitalize myself.

It's enough to force him to let go as he hollers in pain. Seeing my chance, I push the attack. I utilize my leaf tornado move to confuse and disorient him. In his dazed state, he is unprepared for my attacks. But it's not enough to put him down. With a growl he uppercuts me with a night slash, sending me reeling and tumbling down the grassy hill.

"Enough! We've wasted enough time. This is where you meet your end, human!" He roars. I get back up. Beaten, but not broken. I cant fight him like this. His experienced against trained soldiers easily surpasses my fights with crooks and outlaws. There has got to be a way to outmaneuver him...

He gives me not more time to think, charging at me on all fours. I barely manage to sidestep out of harms way. For a split second my attention drifts to the feeling of liquid on my tail. Am I bleeding? No. A quick glance tells me that it's only water. Looks like the storm's arrived. The frequency of raindrops quickly grows, easily soaking us in short order.

I wait for Kavi to make his next move. That way I can decide what to do myself. But to my surprise, he doesn't. He isn't even focused on me. Rather, something behind me. I turn to look and the reason why becomes clear. Raichu. An army of them. They must have created the storm as cover. And now they are bearing down on the Cerulean Caves.

It appears Thunder was unsuccessful. As was I in escaping without drawing attention. Someone must have followed me here and told the others. Regardless of the cause, the result is clear. A massacre is about to begin...


	12. Last Chance

_Thunder_

It has been four days since he was locked away in this tent. Four days without the ability to contact Alex. No way to warn him about what was coming. Every waking moment was spent worrying. Is he alive? did he miraculously find a way to stop the carnage? Or is his body lying broken, discarded and forgotten on the shore of Cerulean Lake? No... no he must be alive. Being poisoned didn't stop him. Being impaled and nearly bleeding out didn't stop him. Kyurem didn't stop him. Heck, not even a world-ending deity of pure negativity stopped him. So this should be a walk in the park for him by comparison... right?

"I'm sorry, miss. I can't let you in. General's orders." one of the guards says to an unknown figure outside. Who could it be?

"Aw, come on..." A feminine voice replies. "He must be lonely... I'm sure he could use some company, wouldn't you agree?"

"I'm sure he'd like that. But my orders stand. I cannot let anyone except for Sadu or Jasi into this te-" the sudden sound of electric shocks interrupt his statement, followed shortly by a heavy thump.

"Dova. Come with us. Hurry." a young male voice beacons. What on Pokémar is this?

"What?!" Thunder exclaims in confusion. "Who are you? What are you doing?

The tent flap opens, revealing two Pikachu. One male, the other female. "Quiet!" The female hushes. "You'll alert the rest of the guards. I'm Pikachu Yuni. this is my brother Pikachu Urax. We're here to get you out"

"Get me out? Why?"

"People here have heard what you said. About this fight not being worth it." Urax intrudes. "And they're beginning to agree. So we decided to help get you out. See if you had any ideas on how to fix this." Wait... They're agreeing with him? They want to pursue peace? This is such a stroke of luck!

"I... Thank you. But it's too late. My father's already left for the Zoroark base and has a two day head start on us. they probably already made it there. By the time we reach them the fight will be long over."

"Well, is there some way to cover ground quickly?" Yuni asks. Wait... actually...

"There might be a way... When Alex and I escaped that assassin and left our entercards behind we were told you would get them back."

"You mean that strange purple square with the sun and moon tiles? Yeah. It's sitting in the storehouse."

"Perfect... those things will take me practically anywhere in short order. If I can get those... I could head back to Pokemon Paradise, Bring more of New Hope over, and help quell the fighting."

"Sounds like a plan." Urax agrees.

"Woah, hold up." Yuni interrupts. "There's one big problem. The storeroom is heavily guarded. The guards will not be keen on letting us it.

"Is there a back entrance that we can sneak in?" Thunder suggests.

"Not one that isn't guarded."

"Then we need a distraction."

? ﾟﾕﾒ? ﾟﾕﾖ? ﾟﾕﾛ

Thunder crouches in the shadow of a nearby building, watching the back entrance to the storeroom. Two Raichu guards stand vigilant watch over the area. If those two can cook up a good enough distraction, he should have no problem getting inside. Now he just has to wait...

"What have you done to my brother?!" Screams Yuni. "You filthy Zorua! Where have you taken him!?"

"Yuni, it's me! I'm not a Zorua! I'm your brother, Urax!" He replies nervously. Looks like this is the distraction they came up with.

"I swear to Arceus, blackfur, if you hurt my brother in any way, I will stuff and mount your worthless body on display for the entire camp to see!"

"Sis... you're scaring me..."

"Don't you dare call me that! Now... if you want to live to see another day, you will tell me where he is. and he'd **better** be alive!" The guards have heard enough. They break away from their post to address the disturbance.

"Now's my chance..." Thunder says under his breath. He's only going to get one shot at this... He needs to make it count. He considers using quick attack to zip into the entryway, but the light ans sound would give him away immediately. Instead he opts to wait until they're out of sight, then dash in, being careful to hide any evidence of his presence. Because the distraction may not last for very long.

The storeroom was filled with a wide variety of supplies. Dried berries, medical equipment, tools, everything one would need to survive out here for years on end. But there's only one thing Thunder is interested in right now, the entercards.

Thunder searches box after box, carefully scouring over every item, looking for them. Without success. "Come on... they've got to be here somewhere..."

"Dova has escaped! Everyone fan out! we have to find him!" A voice yells from outside. They must've seen his tent empty and the guards missing. Crap...

The front tent flap of the storeroom opens as one of the Raichu steps inside. "I'll check in here!" she calls back to the others. She closes up the tent flap and begins doing a systematic search of the area. this isn't good... But he can't leave. Not without the entercards. He **must** find them.

Then something catches his eye. Purple. like the magnagate generator. Is that it? Is that what he's looking for? He gets closer. And to his relief, it is. the magnagate generator and entercards. The tools he needs to rescue Alex and put an end to the war. Without hesitation, he reaches out and grabs them.

"There you are!"The guard yells. She must have seen him move to grab them! "Block the exits! Don't let him escape!" This is bad... "Come on, Dova. Don't make this harder than it needs to be."

"I can't just stay here. my friend is in danger. A lot of people are going to die. I have to stop it."

"Dova, please. This isn't necessary. Just come with me, okay?" There's got to be a way out of this...

Sounds of a struggle can be heard outside. could that be Yuni and Urax? "Dova! This way!" Yuni's voice calls. The Raichu is caught off guard by the sight of another helping him. Using this moment to his advantage, Thunder dashes out, trailed by his two allies. He can hear the guards scrambling to give chase.

"Thanks." he replies. "You saved my tail back there."

"We're not out of this yet." Urax returns. "How quickly can you get out of here using these."

"It'll take a minute."

"We'll give you that minute." Yuni says as she tuns to face their pursuers. "You want some of this?! Come and get it!" Urax does the same, preparing to fight the guards. That should buy Thunder some time.

Wasting no time, Thunder gets to work. He has worked on memorizing the entercard orientations needed to return home in case of situations like this. And thank Arceus he did. Because he really needed it. With the cards in place, he activates the magnagate. The darkening of the light in the area and the bright display of the gate itself quickly draw the attention of the distracted guards. Realizing what's happening, they ignore the brother and sister and head straight for Thunder.

But it's too little too late. by the time they reach him the gate is about to close. "Sorry guys. But I need to do this. The killing has to stop." And with those words, the gate closes. Thunder can only hope he's not too late...


	13. Eye of the Storm

I couldn't think of a worse situation to be in right now. Both factions are at each others throats, I'm faced off against one of their deadliest officers, and Thunder is nowhere to be seen. There's nothing I can do to stop this. not that anyone would listen to me anyway...

The storm rages like the battle it overlooks. The lightning giving the Raichu a distinct advantage in terms of attack strength. But the Zoroark use home field advantage to ambush them among other cunning tactics. It isn't long before the bodies start to fall. The casualties are high on both sides. It is exactly what i was afraid of.

"So you weren't here to talk peace..." Kavi chuckles as he looks over the carnage. "It was all a ruse to lead them here. I guess I should thank you. This makes wiping them out significantly easier."

"You don't even care that hundreds of Zoroark are dying out there!?"

"As long as those wretched rodents are purged, I could care less. I've killed my own kind to get to this point. Where I could orchestrate this war. And I don't regret a thing." His words start spinning cog wheels in my head. so he killed to start this fight... the event that started this was that tournament fight... so...

"Asva's son... Sadu didn't kill him, did he?"

"...I see I've said too much... Yes. It was me. I needed something to bring more Zoroark to my cause. So I worked behind the scenes to get those two in the arena together. Then, though illusions, I was able to trick him into throwing a killing blow." I can't believe what I'm hearing. He murdered a young Zorua just so he could wage war on an entire species?!

"You monster... Do you hate the Raichu so much that you'd kill everyone else to do so?"

"I absolutely do. And, unfortunately for you, you've become a liability in my plan. More so than before. I think you know what comes next." His body is engulfed in a dark energy as he readies his attack. Then, from his outstretched hands, the energy surges towards me in a shadowy shockwave; it's his kind's signature move, night daze.

I have no chance to react as the wave slams into me, feeling like a speeding bus just plowed right into me. I am thrown backwards uncontrollably, my body crying out in pain. Eventually, I skid to a stop, struggling to get back on my feet. This doesn't appear to be a fight I can win...

Suddenly, without warning, a bolt of lightning strikes Kavi, stunning him. "I'm sure you remember me, don't you Kavi?" a familiar voice calls out. It's Sadu.

"I'm guessing you're not happy about the whole 'releasing the spy' thing, are you?"

"Save it, traitor. I'll deal with you soon enough. Now, Kavi, we have some unfinished business to attend to..."

A sinister grin creeps over the Zoroark's face. "Indeed we do. Do try to put up more of a fight than your 'negotiator.'" I can see a flash of confusion appear on the Raichu's face, but only for a split second. It is quickly replaced by rage and anger.

"You and your friend destroyed my life! I promise you, I will make you suffer for your actions." Without hesitating, he lets loos a flurry of electric strikes, met by Kavi's claw barely missing him. They are far too involved in their fight to pay any attention to me. I can take advantage of this...

I focus all my effort to get myself up off the ground. Every bone in my body retorts with jabs of pain as I do so, but the situation requires that I leave. Struggling and wincing step after step, I slowly withdraw, hoping to find some place to hide while it all blows over. There's not much else I can do besides that...

My thoughts are cut short when I spot someone else approaching... another Zoroark. Asva. And judging by his expression, he's not happy. "Oh for the love of... Give me a break..." I mutter to myself. Just my luck. Who's next, The Bittercold?

"I thought you could be trusted, Alex. It appears that I was played for a fool."

"Asva. Listen to me, I didn't know they were following me. I wanted to end this peacefully, like I said. You've got to believe me."

"Not this time. It seems that even the mightiest have evil in their hearts. Yourself included."

"Let me guess. You're going to kill me?"

"Only if you force me. I'm going to use you as a bargaining chip. Your life for their surrender. They'll be locked away until we can decide what to do with them."

"What?! No! They want me dead too! They won't care if you kill me or not!"

"If that's the case, then we'll use your death as the bargaining chip." There's no way to to convince him. And my encounter with Kavi has weakened me to the point that fighting isn't an option anymore. I watch, too weakened to retaliate, as he grabs me by the tail and hoists me upward.

"Listen to yourself! Offering up someone as a sort of sacrifice to try and get them to stand down?! How could you do this!?"

"Desperate times call for desperate measures. And you pushed desperate times onto us, Alex." No! I can't just let this happen! Wait... there's one thing left I can try. It's a stab in the dark, but what choice do I have?

"It wasn't Sadu who killed your son!" Almost immediately he brought me up right to his face, a mix of confusion and anger.

"What?" He growled with barely restrained patience. I hit a nerve. I need to choose my next words very carefully.

"He wasn't responsible for his death. Kavi was. He put an illusion over him. He had no idea how strong his attack was."

"Why should I believe you? After what you've done, I'm not really inclined to listen to slander."

"Think about it... You must have noticed. Kavi **loathes** the Raichu. Doesn't it seem like he cares more about their destruction the the Zoroark he says he fights for? Would it really be that hard to believe he'd pull a stunt like that to get you on his side?" I wait, hanging in bated breath as he thinks. Did I get through to him?

"I... I don't know what to think anymore... I just want it to be over. All the pain... all the suffering... I'm tired of it. I just want it to end."

"Then help me. Help me to set things right." Once again, he ponders, Unsure of what to do. Eventually, though, he sets me down.

"Okay... You're right. No more pain. No more suffering. But... How do we do this?"

"I'm trying to figure that out myself..." My questions are quickly answered however as the battlefield darkens. and a flash of light appears a short ways ahead of us. Instantly I recognize what it is. A magnagate. I laugh out of a sense of relief at the sight. "Looks like reinforcements have arrived..."


	14. Casualties of War

A rush of joy swells in my heart as the first of the team exits the Magnagate, Thunder. He's alive and well. He must have somehow gotten to Paradise and informed the others of what was happening. Good thing too. No way Asva and I could have done this ourselves with all the carnage going on.  
Judging by the fact that he's rushing towards me, it's safe to say he saw me. "Alex!" He cries out. "Good to see you!"

"Likewise, my friend." I respond. "Seems like the whole thing with Sadu didn't work as planned."

"Sadly no. He locked me away so I couldn't interfere. What about you?"

"Got Asva to listen. But I'm facing serious opposition from a commander named Kavi. We need him out of the way to be able to end this."

"Good thing I brought the other with me." Turning back to the gate I see Keldeo, Umbreon, and Emolga emerge, heading over in our direction as the gate closes. "So, what's the plan?"

"We need to get Sadu out of harm's way. Thunder, Umbreon, You two work on that. Keldeo, Emolga, see if you can create a sort of disruption to put the battle to a stop. Asva, you're familiar with Kavi. See if there is any way to speak some sense into him.

"What about you, Alex?" Asks Asva.

"I'm unfortunately in no condition to help. But I'll eat a few oran berries and I'll join you as soon as I'm able."

"Alright. let's go." With that, we disperse. Thunder hands me a few oran berries to heal up on, which I try to do as quickly as possible. Strange feeling, snacking on a berry in the midst of a brutal fight. Partaking in a task normally done in a safe, controlled environment. But I don't dwell on it. No time. I need to get back up on my feet as soon as possible.

 _Thunder  
_

Thunder, Asva and Umbreon rush toward Sadu and Kavi, both locked in battle, yearning for the death of the other. If they don't do something soon, one of them **will** be killed. They plan to not let that happen.

"Dad! Stop!" he heals, quickly catching the Raichu's attention.

"Dova!?" He responds, distressed. Must be worried about his safety. Kavi, thinking he has an opportunity, prepares to kill his opponent. But Asva was ready to prevent that. A beam of shadowy rings, dark pulse, slams into the Zoroark, easily halting his attack.

"That's enough, Kavi! We're putting an end to this!"

"You naive fool." He growls. "Are you so gullible that you'd align with your own enemy?!"

"From what I've heard, you may, in fact be the enemy."

"What did they tell you? That I killed your son?"

"So you **do** know about that!" A look of fiery fury engulfs Asva. "I should never have trusted you!"

"And you believed them?! Asva, I've been trying to help you set things right!"

"No, you've been indulging in the hate you have of their kind all this time! And I will not stand for it!" He fires of night daze and throws Kavi backwards. The disoriented Kavi tries to retaliate, but the hit has left him dizzy and disoriented. His hits don't connect. Meanwhile Asva is beating him within an inch of his life. While Thunder would love to join him, he has other matters to attend to.

"What... what is happening?" Sadu mutters, confused by the sight before him. "Why is Asva fighting for me?"

"Because he's tired of the killing. He want's the same thing I do, a peaceful resolution."

"It's far too late for him to change his mind. I don't care what he wants! He will pay!" Still as staunch as ever, it seems.

"Dad! look around you! Look at the carnage and loss this quest for vengeance has produced!" Sadu glances around, Watching as Zoroark, Zorua, Raichu, Pikachu, and even a few Pichu Brutally and mercilessly tear each other apart. The dead bodies drifting through the river. The blood drenched water flowing through the river. His eyes rest on a particular scene, a young Zorua, tears falling from his face as he mourns the death of a Zoroark. His mother.

"Is this what you want your legacy to be? The Raichu that murdered hundreds in a bid for revenge? Is that what you wanted? Is that what _mom_ would have wanted?" Those last words were the ones to finally reach his heart. He looks upon the destruction with a new perspective.

Fury gives way to horror and sorrow. "What... have I done?" He chokes out as tears drip from his face. "I've become a monster... I'm so sorry Kosa... You deserved better than the likes of me..."

"Dad..." Thunder says, softly, resting his hand on his father's shoulder. "It's not too late. We can still stop this. We can't bring the dead back, but we can keep the others alive. But we have to hurry."

"Well... I'll follow your lead."

 _Asva_

The claws of the two Zoroark clash repeatedly as each tries to get an upper hand on the other, without success. The fight has dragged on for quite some time.

"I don't know why I put you in charge." Kavi says. "Your weak. Stupid. Without the will to do what's needed."

"Better than being a malicious monster with no empathy for others!" Asva retorts. Kavi responds with a night slash that he deftly evades. "After all, you killed my son just to start this whole bloodbath!"

"Dwelling on the past gets us nowhere. You need to see that we'd be better off without the rodents!"

"Shut up!" Asva tackles his rival, slamming him into the mountainside and pummeling him with punches. Kavi retaliates, doing a sweeping kick to knock Asva down. He prepares to strike again, when a pair of green vines latch onto his arms.

"What in the name of-"

"Hey, Kavi. You miss me?" Asva turns to the source of the voice. It was Alex.

 _Alex_

"Let me go you worthless snake!" He roared at me.

"Sure." I say as I reel in my vines, pulling him to the ground. "Now, shall we finish this, Asva?"

"Yes. Let's." As Kavi was getting up, Asva struck with night daze once again, sending him flying back into the mountainside. I follow up with an energy ball to the gut followed by a leaf tornado. Angered, Kavi charges at me, but I quickly sidestep the attack. I strike again with razor leaf and Asva hits with shadow ball, delivering the knockout blow.

"Sorry, Kavi." Asva says. "But this has to be done. The war must end." His only response is an angry growl. Asva turns to me. "Thanks for the help."

"No problem. Now we have another problem. We need to disrupt this fight somehow. it seems that Emolga and Keldeo are struggling."

"Alex!" I hear Thunder's voice call as rushes towards my side. "Did you do it?"

"We did. Kavi is down. Any ideas on how to stop the rest of them?"

"Not a clue. But we have to think of something we can't just let this keep going... Maybe we could-"

"Asva! behind you!" Sadu yells. It tuns out that Kavi was not quite down yet. And he's about to cleave through Asva!

Without hesitation, Sadu charges between them, and right into the path of Kavi's claw.

"Dad! No!" Thunder screams. But There's nothing that can be done. Kavi's claws, while intended for Asva, ended up tearing through Sadu instead. The Raichu's motionless body tumbles across the grass, eventual coming to a complete stop. "NO!" Thunder screams again in horror. Asva uses night slash on Kavi, making doubly sure he was unconscious this time. Meanwhile the rest of us gather around Sadu.

This act appears to have taken the attention of the fighting pokemon, who saw the heroism displayed by Sadu. They question why he would do such a thing, but many agree with his actions, deciding to bury the hatchet and end the fighting.

"No... please father... don't do this to me..." Thunder's sobbing voice rockets me back to reality. He is, understandably upset, Crouched over Sadu's motionless form. "Please! You can walk it off! Don't leave me! Father! You're still alive! You have to be!" With every word his sobs grow louder and his emotions become more potent. I can't help but cry myself. After all, watching my friend in such pain... it's not easy. I walk up to my heartbroken friend, resting my hand on his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, Thunder..." is all I can bring myself to say, looking over the deep and massive gash in his chest. Thunder turns to cry into my shoulder. And I will admit, I cried a bit into his as well.


	15. In Memoriam

The following days were somber in mood. The site of the battle became the site of a graveyard for the many that perished. Families came to mourn and pay their respects. I also got my first taste of how the pokemon do funerals. It's often based on their typing. Ground and rock types get buried or put in tombs, fire types are cremated, grass types are used to grow a tree as their "gravestone." Shame that if I die on Pokemar my body won't stick around. I don't think I'd mind my body becoming a tree. seems poetic, In a way.

For electric types, they are electrified until the body is reduced to ash. Sort of a different form of cremation. Dark types are put in coffins especially made that the bodies will always be left in complete darkness. As those types comprised the whole of the casualties, those were the practices I saw firsthand.

At the very center of the graveyard sat a carved stone monument as a memorial. Written on it was the phrase "We honor the memory of the fallen by living in peace." With luck, this sentiment will continue to be the case as the years go by.

I spot Thunder staring off into blank space, no doubt thinking of what had happened. I make my way over to him, wondering what exactly was on his mind.

"Hey, Thunder." I say to him.

"Hey, Alex." He replies.

"Thinking about Sadu?"

"Yes. That and this whole ordeal."

"Yeah... It was quite something. Seems like wherever we go, trouble is not far behind."

"I just wished we could have stopped it sooner. Then..."

"...It wouldn't have happened. I know. But we can't turn back the clock. All we can do is look ahead and ensure that we do not repeat the same mistakes."

"I know... It doesn't make it any easier, though."

Another voice joins the conversation. "Hey, at least you set things right. Not many here can say they did that." I turn around to see Sadu, limping towards us.

As it turned out, the blow Sadu took didn't actually kill him. Though it came pretty close. He's been bedridden since then, working his strength back up. In fact...

"You're as stubborn as a Tauros, dad. You should be asleep."

"Nah. I've been through worse..." he replies, nearly toppling over. We rush to stabilize him.

"Easy there... you're not about to walk off inch deep lacerations." I reply. "Your body just can't handle it. Believe me, I know."

"So you've experienced this as well? I doubt that."

"Well, if you count being impaled, then yeah. I've gone through it."

"Oh... I see."

"Why are you up anyway?" Thunder asks.

"Asva was going to give a speech at Cerulean Memorial. I wanted to be there."

"But that's not for another hour."

"Yeah, well, patience has never been my strong suit. I just had to get up and stretch my legs a bit."

Umbreon, who was also nearby, chuckles in response. "I know that feeling..."

"Still," I add. "it does you no good to be up and about like this. We'll call you when the speech starts. But in the meantime, please rest."

"Fine, 'Doctor Alex.'" He replies in mock sarcasm.

? ﾟﾕﾒ? ﾟﾕﾖ? ﾟﾕﾛ

An hour later, everyone is called to the memorial site by Asva. It was time to pay our respects. As promised, I alert Sadu and help him to the memorial site, where we sit him on a chair we brought out. As Asva takes his place in front of the stone monument, the voices of the crowd hush. Soon the entire graveyard is bathed in utter silence.

"I'm grateful so many of you came out here today." Asva starts. "I know there's still some amnesty between our kinds, but my hope is that this day will mark as a turning point in our relationship. For 20 years, we have fought tooth and nail against one another. Bloody skirmishes across Kanto Major. From the green forests of Viridian City to the desolate and dangerous Lavender Valley blood has been spilled. And brave pokemon fallen. But today, we put it all behind us.

"The battle here at Cerulean River was by far the most brutal of the war. And the graves that lie before you reflect this. It shall serve as a reminder of the suffering that comes with such hate. And not just the suffering of the dead, but those that are left behind. The husbands, wives, children, mothers, fathers, friends, and siblings. They too, suffered from our blind hate. But no more.

"Let this site be a reminder of the folly of war. Of the consequences that result of such a course. May we remember what we lost, and vow never to repeat it. I call upon my kind to abandon this destructive conflict! And to the Raichu as well! Let us meet not out of malice, but of peace and understanding! On this day, the war ends! And we begin an era of peace!" Cheers erupted from the crowd. Ours included. We actually did it. We helped end the war! I feel an immense satisfaction as i watch as both Zoroark and Raichu alike smile, cheer, and even hug. Asva is right. This war is well... and truly...

Over.

? ﾟﾕﾒ? ﾟﾕﾖ? ﾟﾕﾛ

"Alex. Thunder." Sadu says to us as we prepare to leave. "I wanted to say that I'm sorry for how I acted. I was so blinded by fury I could only think of their suffering... and hundreds of pokemon payed for it with their lives."

"Don't worry dad." Thunder answers. "What matters is that you realize your mistakes now. Maybe I can hook you up with Munna. She's been through something somewhat similar. I'm sure she'd love to talk with you."

"Sure. Why not?" The two walk towards each other and embrace. "It was good to see you again, Dova."

"You know, in spite of everything, it's been good to see you too." As they break the hug Thunder turns back in my direction.

"When will you visit again?"

"I'll see if I can't come back once a month or something."

"I'll be eagerly awaiting it." Suddenly the light grows dark as the magnagate opens.

"Alright you two!" Umbreon calls to us. "It's time to go!"

"We'll be right there!" I yell back. I turn my attention back to Sadu. "Goodbye Sadu. until next time." I spot Asva and Poki also coming my way.

"We'll be here, waiting for your return, Alex." Asva says with a wave as we depart.

"Good luck you two!" Poki yells. "And thanks for everything!" I return the gesture as the gate closes, sending us back home to Unova Minor. To Pokemon Paradise.

? ﾟﾕﾒ? ﾟﾕﾖ? ﾟﾕﾛ

"It's good to be back..." I say to myself as we walk back to out house.

"Absolutely." Thunder agrees. "That was quite the wild ride." I open the door and step inside. But what happens next, I did not expect. The floor caved in, creating a sinkhole in the floor, dragging me along with it.

"Alex?!" Thunder calls out. "Are you okay!?"

"Yeah... " I groan. "I'm fine... what the heck happened? Why'd the floor collapse?"

"Because I rigged it to." Emolga's voice announces from behind Thunder.

"What?! Why?!"

"I told you before you left. I was going to have a 'surprise' for you."

"Emolga... this isn't funny. Someone's going to have to pay for this." I hiss angrily as I rappel my way back up.

"See, I'd love to. But I just spent a good chunk of it on a buffet for dunspace's birthday so I'm a bit low. So... you two will have to handle it yourselves. Bye!" Seriously!? Dunspacre's birthday is three months off! What sort of an excuse is that!?

"Emolga! Get back here!" I yell as I give chase. "You're not slipping your way out of this one! Stop running! Emolga!"

"Home sweet home." I could faintly hear thunder chuckle as I continued to chase down the vandal.

 _ **To be continued in...**_

 _ **Explorers of Time**_


End file.
